I feel a really strong need to build a routine but have a really hard time sticking to one, it's extremely frustrating.

The irony of getting distracted while watching this ( always find myself going back ten seconds)

me getting distracted by the comments insted of watching the video: .-.

I write EVERYTHING down in my phone's notes. It's my second brain. If I don't immediately write down an idea or something else that's important, I can honestly kiss it goodbye :D

I will tell you from a person who has add, right so listen up ill be quick, First i have something like i need a drink, i go downstairs and somehow my focus ends up somewhere else say i see the toilet i may go and then somehow i end up with no drink lol. And then it hits me oh again lol.

I’m scared to start driving a get completely distracted even while doing things that entertain me the most

Best things I have forgot: - eat in a day - going to shop I talked about whole day - and the other things I just had in mind :)

This is very serious if you actually have it. It can greatly impact work performance and be the reason why you underperform, and we all know what bad stuff can happen because of that. My recommendations are: 1.) Use timers if you can and if they won’t annoy people in your office. 2.) Write down the things you have had problems with/questions about during the workday. Incorporate it with the next day’s tasks and write an email including those. things to your supervisor if it is helpful and appropriate. 3.) Be on medication if you can afford it. It greatly helps. Don’t be the dipshit that gets addicted to it, though. 4.) Repeat back communication out loud so you get it. 5.) *TAKE NOTES IN MEETINGS. IF YOU GET NOTHING ELSE FROM THIS, TAKE NOTES IN YOUR MEETINGS.* 6.) Multitasking is NOT your friend. Break projects down into individual solo work chunks. Then focus on those individual chunks before moving onto other chunks. Not to be dramatic, but having ADD can and will be your professional downfall if you let it. Many take it lightly, but if you actually have it while also having a high stakes job, you’ve probably gotten types of notes back like “Talented, but needs to work on communication/organization.” In the professional world, those are the MOST important things to have. So please, take this seriously and get help you need or do what you have to do to mitigate. It’s not a joke. People get fired for this type of thing every day. I wish you all the best.

I myself have ADD and know the struggles of trying to stay concentrated and also having anxiety. I just want to thank you for this video. Having ADD my entire life I would say your tips are good guide to flow.

INFP? check. ADD? check. Anxiety? check. 23 still no degree? check. I'm your male version I guess.

I feel like i have to be productive ALL the time /:

I have had add as long as I can remember it makes school so hard and that triggers my anxiety so much and I’m a perfectionist so it’s like one thing triggers the next 😩

My ADD makes me depressed. My depression steals my focus. Also I almost burned my house down this morning due to not focusing on what I was doing. It’s hard for me to accept that that’s who I am. I hate who I am.

Self-acceptance is definitely key. It also helps to remember that the grass is always greener on the other side, and that what we are seeking is the happiness and well-being that others _appear_ to have on the surface. I feel much better about my life when I remember that everybody, regardless of circumstance, struggles with their own issues, and it then becomes a lot easier for me to focus on bettering myself on a personal level that doesn't look at happiness in such a simplistic way.

Hi! I've been diagnosed a month ago. This is really helpful, I'm discovering this world that I belong to and feeling not so alone. Really, thank you.

at 3:00 she starts her tips

I have ADD, depression, anxiety, and a lot of mental issues so in the end, its hard to know why i feel some way at times.

Zwo minutes into it and already not paying attention anymore 😫

My life makes so much more sense now… I learned a couple months ago that my dad has add and they never got me tested Bc I seemed “fine” in school and church. But after watching this video and many people saying I “need” medication for whatever I have going on in my brain… I literally forget what I’m doing thinking about the next task I need to get done, not realizing I’m not paying attention in class or someone talking. I have to take notes or repeat stuff back to the other person. But if I take notes I forget where I put them… you mentioning the goals thing is me to a T… I think I’m going to get diagnosed. I’ve always felt so “stupid” for not being able to remember anything or being able to concentrate. It’s a relief. Thank you for this video

This explains so much of my life to be honest. So much on my mind I never know where to begin, emotions and forgetfulness are endless, I can’t stand to pay attention to anything or anyone unless I find it very interesting, getting bored fast with everything, the list just keeps going.

When you said “maybe you won’t do anything amazing with your life” it actually broke my heart and discouraged me lol

Thank you Penolope! This really helped. Much love from the Netherlands

Hey good to see that your back! Your ideas are really interesting and useful to me so thanks for making these videos.

Lol, I you mentioned going tot he store takes forever... My boyfriend has ADHD and I have ADD and we totally spend forever in the store, and I easily get distracted looking at stuff and loosing him in the store.

I’m an airline pilot... And sometimes I don’t have a clue how I got to where I am... All a blur... In my private life I am a mess.. At work I am on the ball.. So I stay at work as much as I can because there I function best, but I have two kids and a long suffering wife. Last year I averaged 5 days a month at home... Then COVID came along and I spent 4 months being a dad and husband again... then the other day I finally got officially diagnosed with ADD... It actually had a negative impact because I questioned myself a lot (meta thinking) and my wife, family and friends mostly wrote it of as an excuse for various things.. Left me feeling very isolated and desperate. Then I started a 100 burpees a day challenge and thats helped a lot mentally...

This video was so helpful! Thanks so much for taking the time to do it.

Hi Penelope!! So nice to see you!! :) You look fantastic in both ways with short or long hair^^ Perfect time to watch this video cause I´m just trying to orginise my messy life with the help of a calendar right now!! I´m going to get creative too cause is creativity one of my best qualities hidden behind the awfulness of my terrible time management :'( :'( ohhh Lord!...Love from Canary islands, beautiful xxxx

You are a lovely person, and my day is a little bit better for having watched this.

Love your videos! Such a blessing!

It's really hard for me to actually learn in school. I just keep zoning out and even though I am really trying to learn and listen the teacher, I always realise that I haven't been listening for the whole class.

Thank you for creating this video. I recently discovered my ADD and what you said is what I'm going through...

Thank you for the tips. I feel like I have been thinking of doing these things as well. I also have add and am not on medication, so I find this helpful. Thank you for sharing.

this was actually helpful a few aspects really match what i’m struggling with thank you

Tbh, I've self diagnosed a lot in my past, because I really really struggle with making appointments. I just get extremely anxious and just do anything in my ability at home. So when I refer to mh struggles it comes from self diagnosis. The last few years I struggled with depression a lot (I just felt very empty and "sad" 90% of the time and overall just struggled with positive thinking), but lately the focusing and productivity aspect was what came through a lot. So I questioned if my depression was depression like mentally ill people do (not believe that the mental illness is the cause of your problems, but thinking you're just a lazy or bad person), so I basically googled my symptoms (I know it's not reliable and I don't want to offend anyone by self diagnosing) and a lot of the symptoms apply to me. I over all struggle with appointments, deadlines, procrastinating and all kinds of work. I just can't get into mind work because I get distracted or irritated so easily. I don't know what to do, because I see my grades going down and my life falling apart. So to make it short, does anyone have tips for learning and might have tips for an actual diagnosis?

Thank you for the tips. Appreciate it very much

Thank you! Now I can follow on school work without getting distracted!

Appreciate it, thank you for your perspective x

Thank you so much for this video!

Personally, I have to have my home organized, it was so difficult with a very messy could careless about organization husband. Finally, getting myself and life in order.

You are awesome, thank you for what you're doing.

Add really does suck. For me when I’m not on my medicine everyone can tell. I get really distracted without it but it’s mainly my sparatic impulses. When I’m off my medicine I can be listening to my friend and just say something random like “monkey butt” or “I’m ugly”. Sometimes I can control it but its mainly just instant regret after I say something. And my best friend and I joke about me being a crack head but it’s what makes me different. I bring joy to her face, she wants me to do comedy, and that makes me happy because I can embarrass the “learning disability” .I’ve also lost friends because they make fun of me. One friend told me I belonged in a mental hospital because I’m crazy. I’ve had breakdowns because it really is uncontrollable most times. It’s also embarrassing because people don’t see me as the mature high schooler I am, they see my ADD. But just FYI if you have add or adhd it’s not your fault. Your Add doesn’t define you. Just like how we have ADD others have acne. We all have things we can’t control, like the mole on your back, or freckles, or that weird red bump on your neck. We are all born imperfect. People will judge, and it’s gonna feel bad. But at least I know who are the real friends. And honestly it’s embarrassing but I can use it to make others smile.

I haven't watched the video yet but want to say thank you for doing this 🙏 I highly appreciate your tips and tricks, you are awesome! Had to say it now before I forget 😊

I’ve suspected I’ve had add since I was a child. I went to two psychologists and they keep pushing depression and antidepressants on me but I really don’t think that’s it. Should I go see an add/adhd specialist outside of my insurance?

well done, thank you for sharing

Before watching the whole video I just want to say what a nice haircut 😍 really lovely 💜 And I was waiting for this topic specifically so thank you Penelope, I'm wondering also If I'm having ADD and After I have watched your previous video about ADD , I started to read about it and thinking that I may have it . But I was wondering is it something common to happen for INFP people, is there a relation between being a certain type and having this? Just wondering actually!

thank you for this. I know in my heart i have ADD/ADHD and its been so difficult i feel as i got older its getting worse. Its so frustrating bc i want to be this sharp, quick witted, productive woman but I find it soo hard at times. I will space out in the middle of the day, not remember tasks or conversations i have with people. I lack critical thinking skills at work or be a self starter. I can watch a movie or read an article but if you ask me what its about i couldnt tell you. I dealt with these feelings for years. I made an appt to see a doc and hope to get help soon.

Thankyou that is very helpful x

I am in the process of getting diagnosed. The psychiatrist believes that I have inattentive ADHD but I still need to go through the standard testing. He talked to me about atomoxetine instead of stimulants because of my anxiety and depression and I am willing to try it but I worry about the side effects so that will be interesting. I just want to feel somewhat normal and be able to get things done. The tips are very helpful thank you :)

Thank u so much❤️ This really helped and I have ADD and I thank u for that and thank u for saying this cause this makes my feel better about myself💜,so thank u💖Penelope.

The way you speak and have your mimics are so similar to mine. My neighbor also got ADD and I kinda already knew/picked up on it because she felt so similar to me. I think there's some funny typical ways in our way of expressing that can be picked up upon.

I used to get panic attacks on Concerta. No way! Thanks for sharing! Life is hard for us, I feel you!

Great Video!

OMG I LOOOOVEEE YOOOUUU!!!

Taking notes is so necessary for me to retain information

cool beans! congrats on 1.6k! :>

May god bless you! Great tips.

I also rely alot on timers and calendar to manage myself almost like machine and instaure a certain level of discipline without which I'd become a mess & slack whole day. Though my focus & attention issues are still quite a nuisance, hearing your experience with medication kinda drops a bit my hope but I'll still try see with a doc if we can get a compromise between quality/side effects otherwise I'd try out natural alternatives, I've heard omega 3 DHA can help along with physical activity unfortunately there's no clear indication of the amount you need for DHA & in my country it's not only hard to find supplements but also ones that have the required amount/ratio.

Thank you!

Thank you so much I have add so hard for me to focus

Starting school again with add makes me so scared

You're offering something so unique. And so helpful. Hopefully the effusive praise doesn't make you uncomfortable. I think someone with a gift to experience life, find insight, and then synthesize it, and then go and share it with others to help. Doing so much work and then taking the time to share it with all of us. It's important when people like you go out of their way to share such a gift that they feel appreciated. So thank you so much.

thanks for speaking for all of us who have ADD

Top ten things that I forgot -The world "chair" in every language that I know -Going to the doctor (and I tell myself to go every day) in months -My cousin's face, he lives next door -My mother's birthday -And the rest of things on this list

I use systems to compensate for my lack of organization and forgetfulness. I prefer Asana over Google Calendar. You might want to check into it. The only issue is it doesn't have a notification like google calendar so I set alarms for anything very important.

I was diagnosed at uni with ADD two days ago... I find it fascinating that the symptoms of PTSD and ADD can mimic one another... there is def a link to childhood trauma I think....

I literally want to fast forward.

The way you speak is exactly how I speak. It’s super interesting.

I’ve been misdiagnosed for years to the point where doctors just wanted to give me anti depressants.. my life was falling apart and I kept wondering if I’m stupid or why everyone else seems to find life’s “small tasks” easy?!? I finally got diagnosed at 25ish and it felt like a huge relief.the depression only developed due to my add not being treated

Alright so I was diagnosed with A.D.D when I was little around 3rd or 4th grade. They had me on some medication I don'trememberthe name I think it began with a S. I would get emotional over everything little thing. So I stop taking them. So im 30 years old now and I've been learning how to get a handle on my A.D.D as an adult without meds. What a Rollercoaster of a ride it has been. But like you said it could be fun at times.

Im not diagnosed because we never went to check but my parents gets frustrated about me zoning out everytime they talk with me. They keep telling me to focus. But my head keeps zoning out.

What medicine do u take does it really help?

i was recently diagnosed with add and i find it really hard to have convos with people. like i either overshare, or don't say enough and am very withdrawn. i also find it hard to pick up on social cues and i dont think before i say. so im always anxious in group settings and its really hard to maintain friends. i have been called annoying a few times and it really hurts. does anyone else feel like this?

I know I have it even though I haven’t professionally been diagnosed. My mom has a serious bipolar disorder and it’s so hard dealing with her when I’m suffering from something different. She’s constantly mad at me and complaining but ig the good thing about ADD is that I forget everything she says and or lack the importance of why she’s mad at me. So I don’t take it too heart cause I honestly just don’t care what she has to say or think about me lol

Hello Penelope, I just saw a video of yourself that you did back in 2017, talking about trying different medications. I want to know how you did with vyvanse, or strattera

ur amazing thankuuu

How will u get past 'ur' anxiety if u keep embracing it as 'urs'?

Really like the advice about not comparing yourself to neurotypicals

I'll be starting high school next year, and I had ADD kinda of bad. But I had a severe concussion (again) and I'm scared now how I'm gonna do in school. I was already ashamed of myself in middle school, I think now it's just gonna be worse.

I am always really struggling to plan stuff out, even things I do daily. And even when I manage to plan a week or something, I stick to it for like half a day and then I just forget, or don't have the energy to do it

I’ve just started a new job at a cafe doing kitchen work and it’s so hard for me to function and comprehend what I’m doing as I’m panicking so much. I feel like it really is an easy job to do but my head and frustrations get in the way and I fuck it up.

Hey Lola :P , Hope your doing great & it's nice to see you again > sending good vibes all the way from Saudi Arabia

I find reading from the Bible really helps me with my anxiety. It lets it’s not all on my shoulders and whatever comes I’ll be ok.

I hate using my phon elf tablet to take notes or make lists cuz those things are distracting as soon as I open them. Plus all the steps it takes to get to the app and open them. It’s much easier and ‘on task’ to have a piece of paper and pen to flip open on the spot.

I think I was diagnosed with ADD in grade 2, I just remember that I started taking medication in grade 2. The school I was in didn't really know how to deal with me but when I started grade 7 I went to a school that's for people with learning disabilities and also for like kids who can't go to other schools and I'm currently finishing my Matric/GED, I'm writing my first exam today. Sometimes I feel like my ADD is ruining my life, but then I remember that if I didn't have it I wouldn't have gone to that school and I wouldn't have met the girl that got me into modeling and I wouldn't have found out my talents and what I want to do as my career (model, makeup artist, and beautician) so I'm kinda grateful for being diagnosed with ADD. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I didn't have ADD, like would I have come out of my shell, would I become a model, would I learn to love myself, would I have fallen in love with anime, would I be as happy as I am right now, would I have realized my dream, would I have learned so much about disabilities, would I have been open to different cultures and sexualities (idk how to spell) and would I be the person I am today. Sorry for this being so long I just wanted to a bit of my story out there😅

I’m happy it’s focused on add

i am getting add diagnosis and i have depression. Because of my mental state i feel like i have 0 control on my life. Thank you for this video ill start using a calender now hahah

Most of my life and my childhood I have been around with neurodivergent people. My father, me, and my sister are all ADD. Most of my closest friends are either have anxiety or bipolarism. Heck, even my wife is bipolar. I never really knew what it is like to be with neurotypicals until I got my first job that my entire sense of normalcy has been shattered and forced me into trying to cope with others.

I am newly diagnosed with add i just found your video

Finally something about add not adhd

Oh, I have anxiety AND depression ahAHA. But i really do feel that i have add, but I'm *trying* to do a lot of research on it before i diagnose myself because my parents won't take me to the doctor so i will never be able to get a professional diagnosis anytime soon.

When I got diagnosed with A.D.D by a doctor I kinda realized why I acted like a kid at 14 and why I always got mad at people even when it’s not that big of a deal I did yell at my mom because there’s places where I don’t like and it gets me angry because I just feel uncomfortable there and I can’t help it anymore.

I have A.D.D and I’m only 10 and it’s really hard and no one gets what I’m going through and when I try to tell them how hard it is and I have had medication since I was 5 I am 10 so haft of my life so far

Google calendar (write all you do in it so you can see your reality) Lists of things you want to do Put all things you need to do and want to do in your google calendar Routine (make it something you Love) Apps that follow her cycle and her mood Accept yourself as you are Be open with your experience with others and your Loved ones Thank you xo

I just got diagnosed with add and I have high level of depression

I haven't been diagnosed but I feel like I have Add bcuz I relate to most symptoms.

The last tip was very important

mine is like serve lol so I have to take medication

Same here I believe I have ADD and Anxiety but I take medicine

I've got ADD... it sucks...

Does anyone else’s hVe this problem . You will start something and then just get so jumpy you’ll start doing other things ... it’s like your brain is like I need to do this and need to do that . But then I’ll stop myself halfway and just go ok Julia you can do this task and then the next. Oher the years I’ve think I learned to cope with it but it’s not easy . ( was diagnosed when I was younger )